Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation’s Mandy Klarman, of Port Washington, was recognized last month for her exceptional volunteer work and dedication by Long Island Business News as part of its 2018 Achievements in Health Care awards program.
As a certified social worker who had taken time off to raise her young children, Klarman came to the foundation in 2017 as a volunteer for a cause that was near and dear to her heart.
She was eager to support the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation in its work and mission because her grandmother had battled the disease and she was involved with her mother and grandfather as her caregivers.
Klarman sought to lend a helping hand in any way she could and began by volunteering one four-hour shift per week.
“Right from the start, we saw that Mandy was always reliable and consistent in her demeanor,” says Melissa Katz, Director of Early Stage and In-Home Respite Programs at the foundation.
“She is a natural and simply wonderful with our participants. She unfailingly treats them with dignity and respect, and allows them to be as independent as is safe for them. Mandy has an extra spark which connects with our participants, and we value her contributions tremendously.”
Since receiving the Achievements in Health Care award for volunteerism, Mandy has accepted the position of social worker as a leave replacement at Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation.
In this role, she has been fulfilling several duties as a social worker, including supervising the implementation of the organization’s adult day program, coordinating program staff, corresponding with program participants and family caregivers, and directing the facilitation of activities.
Prior to her work at Long Island Alzheimer Foundation, she gained experience working as a psychiatric social worker at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
Klarman holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Spanish and a master’s degree in Social Work from New York University School of Social Work.
